Cooling device for engine and/or transmission oil, in particular of an internal combustion engine

Abstract

A cooling device for engine oil and/or transmission fluid, in particular of an internal combustion engine, has a flow-through oil cooler in an oil trough. The oil cooler is formed by a plate heat exchanger with plate intermediate spaces which route coolant and oil. The plate intermediate spaces that conduct oil have an outer opening region which is arranged on the outer circumference of the plate heat exchanger as inflow region, via which hot oil to be cooled flows into the oil-conducting plate intermediate spaces. Furthermore, the oil-conducting plate intermediate spaces have an outer outflow region which is arranged on the outer circumference of the plate heat exchanger at a distance from the inflow region. The outflow region is connected indirectly or directly to an outer oil line connecting region, via which cooled oil flows out after heat exchange with the coolant. The plate heat exchanger is suspended in the oil trough at a defined spacing from the oil trough walls which surround it.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A cooling device for engine and/or transmission oil cycling through an oil trough formed with oil trough walls, the cooling device comprising:
 a plate heat exchanger forming an oil cooler in the oil trough, said plate heat exchanger being suspended in the oil trough from an upper wall at a defined spacing from the oil trough walls surrounding said plate heat exchanger; 
 said plate heat exchanger having plates disposed to form first plate intermediate spaces therebetween conducting a coolant flow therethrough and second plate intermediate spaces conducting the oil therethrough; 
 said second plate intermediate spaces having an outer opening region on an outer circumference of said plate heat exchanger, forming an inflow region for hot oil to be cooled to flow into said second plate intermediate spaces; 
 said second plate intermediate spaces having an outer outflow region on the outer circumference of said plate heat exchanger distally from said inflow region and connected indirectly or directly to an outer oil line connection, for cooled oil to flow out after traversing said second plate intermediate spaces and after exchanging heat with the coolant; 
 one or more attachment devices consisting of at least one heat exchanger bearing element fixing said plate heat exchanger on an oil trough side; 
 said at least one heat exchanger bearing element being an insert plate or a yoke plate or an insert plate integrated into a yoke plate; and 
 wherein: 
 coolant channels, flow-connected to at least one part of said first plate intermediate spaces routing coolant, are formed integrated in said at least one heat exchanger bearing element; 
 said coolant channels connected to said first plate intermediate spaces are formed by coolant channels that are at least partially integrated into a housing wall of the oil trough; 
 said coolant channels that are integrated into said at least one heat exchanger bearing element are fluidically connected to at least one part of said coolant channels that are integrated into the housing wall of the oil trough; and 
 said coolant channels are formed by a plurality of bores communicating with one another. 
 
     
     
       2. The cooling device according to  claim 1 , wherein said outer inflow region and said outer outflow region lie on opposite sides of said plate heat exchanger, as viewed in cross section through said plate heat exchanger. 
     
     
       3. The cooling device according to  claim 1 , wherein said plate heat exchanger comprises a heat exchanger housing, a plate assembly with a plurality of plates disposed in said heat exchanger housing, said heat exchanger housing is formed with an oil inlet opening, on a side of said inflow region, through which oil flows from the oil trough into said heat exchanger housing, and said heat exchanger housing is formed with an outlet opening, on an outflow side, through which oil flows out of said heat exchanger housing. 
     
     
       4. The cooling device according to  claim 3 , which further comprises a filter and/or screen assembly disposed to filter the oil flowing through said oil inlet opening. 
     
     
       5. The cooling device according to  claim 3 , wherein said housing is further formed with a prechamber or inflow chamber is disposed to receive the oil from said oil inlet opening and in front of the inflow region of said plate assembly. 
     
     
       6. The cooling device according to  claim 5 , wherein said oil inlet opening in said heat exchanger housing is formed to lie geodetically lower than said plate heat exchanger. 
     
     
       7. The cooling device according to  claim 3 , wherein said housing is further formed with an outflow chamber, into which the oil flows after flowing through said second plate intermediate spaces, and said outflow chamber has an oil outlet opening forming an oil line connecting region connected behind said outflow region of said plate assembly in said heat exchanger housing. 
     
     
       8. The cooling device according to  claim 7 , which comprises an oil line connected at said oil line connecting region or connected integrally to said oil line connecting region, and wherein said oil line is formed by a suction pipe line on an oil pump side. 
     
     
       9. The cooling device according to  claim 1 , wherein said plate heat exchanger is supported and/or clamped with said at least one heat exchanger bearing element between a plurality of oil trough housing walls. 
     
     
       10. The cooling device according to  claim 1 , wherein said plate heat exchanger is supported and/or clamped with said at least one heat exchanger bearing element between two mutually opposite oil trough housing walls. 
     
     
       11. The cooling device according to  claim 1  configured for cooling the engine oil of an internal combustion engine. 
     
     
       12. The cooling device according to  claim 1  configured for cooling the transmission fluid of a transmission associated with an internal combustion engine. 
     
     
       13. A cooling device for engine and/or transmission oil cycling through an oil trough, the oil trough being formed with oil trough side walls, an upper wall, and a substantially horizontal trough base wall, the cooling device comprising:
 a plate heat exchanger forming an oil cooler in the oil trough, said plate heat exchanger being suspended in the oil trough from the upper wall at a defined spacing from the oil trough sidewalls laterally of said plate heat exchanger and at a defined spacing from the trough base wall; 
 said plate heat exchanger having plates disposed to form first plate intermediate spaces therebetween conducting a coolant flow therethrough and second plate intermediate spaces conducting the oil therethrough; 
 said second plate intermediate spaces having an outer opening region on an outer circumference of said plate heat exchanger, forming an inflow region for hot oil to be cooled to flow into said second plate intermediate spaces; 
 said second plate intermediate spaces having an outer outflow region on the outer circumference of said plate heat exchanger distally from said inflow region and connected indirectly or directly to an outer oil line connection, for cooled oil to flow out after traversing said second plate intermediate spaces and after exchanging heat with the coolant, 
 one or more attachment devices consisting of at least one heat exchanger bearing element fixing said plate heat exchanger on an oil trough side; 
 said at least one heat exchanger bearing element being an insert plate or a yoke plate or an insert plate integrated into a yoke plate; and 
 wherein: 
 coolant channels, flow-connected to at least one part of said first plate intermediate spaces routing coolant, are formed integrated in said at least one heat exchanger bearing element; 
 said coolant channels connected to said first plate intermediate spaces are formed by coolant channels that are at least partially integrated into a housing wall of the oil trough; 
 said coolant channels that are integrated into said at least one heat exchanger bearing element are fluidically connected to at least one part of said coolant channels that are integrated into the housing wall of the oil trough; and 
 said coolant channels are formed by a plurality of bores communicating with one another.